Mammalian wildlife as a food supply resource for the rural population in the Lama Forest Reserve (South Benin).

摘要

With the exception of a few studies about rodents, very few surveys have been undertaken on the importance of wildlife as source of food supply for the rural populations of South Benin. The aim of the present study the Lama Forest Reserve (South Benin) was to determine how mammals in the forest contribute to the food security of the local population living in the Lama Forest Reserve (South Benin). The study was carried out in two phases: a food consumption survey of two local ethnic groups - the Fons (village of Don-Zoukoutoudja) and the Hollis (village of Agadjaligbo), and a field survey to assess the mammals living in the forest using the Line Transect method. 29 mammalian species were identified as protein sources of the local populations: rodents (12 species), artiodactyls (7 species), primates (4 species) and 7 other various species. Despite the diversity of the mammalian species consumed in the two localities, the preferred meat by the population were from Potamochoerus porcus, Grass cutter (Thrionomys swenderianus), and the African giant rat (Cricetomys gambianus).